The UAE Cabinet on Thursday issued a new resolution banning children under 15 from accessing social media platforms. Those between the ages of 15 and 16 will be permitted to access social media with restrictions. According to a survey from 2024, children in the UAE spend around three hours daily on these platforms. Experts have noted that prolonged social media usage among children heightens challenges, including anxiety, attention difficulties, academic struggles, and, in certain instances, speech delays. The Cabinet has announced several provisions of this new resolution, under which children under the age of 15 will not be permitted to create or use personal accounts on social media platforms, or access their full features. Even if parents consent to their child accessing social media platforms, this will not be constituted as a valid exemption. Children between the ages of 15 and 16 will be allowed regulated access to these platforms, subject to enhanced protective measures applied to their accounts. These measures include age-appropriate content classification and restriction, disabling high-risk features, regulating the duration of use, and providing parental control tools. Social media platforms in the UAE will be given up to 12 months to progressively implement the new standards, in coordination with relevant authorities. The UAE follows a host of other nations implementing similar laws regulating access to social media for children under the age of 16, including the UK, Australia and Malaysia. Experts have earlier noted that social media platforms stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain, encouraging repeated engagement. Shares, likes, and comments on these platforms activate the brain’s reward centre, creating a sensation similar to the pleasure experienced during gambling or substance use, leading to continued user return. (Khaleej Times) The post UAE to ban children under 15 from accessing social media platforms appeared first on Newswire.
